Models of scientific and technological review for the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

ABSTRACT

Science and technology (S&T) review is key to anticipating developments in the life sciences that may benefit or run contrary to the aims of the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. It serves as a mechanism for both preparing against novel biological threats and identifying the best opportunities for developing and sharing the life sciences to the fullest extent. In the age of rapidly advancing biotechnology, S&T review needs to be wide ranging, involve a diverse set of inputs, and be transparent about its methods and data. This viewpoint considers four models of S&T review and their capacity to respond to the challenge of the life sciences: standing advisory boards; ad hoc working groups; peer review; and wikis. It then identifies a hybrid model that is suitably broad, diverse, and transparent.     

Dual‐ascent and primal heuristics for production‐assembly‐distribution system design

This article proposes two dual‐ascent algorithms and uses each in combination with a primal drop heuristic embedded within a branch and bound framework to solve the uncapacitated production assembly distribution system (i.e., supply chain) design problem, which is formulated as a mixed integer program. Computational results indicate that one approach, which combines primal drop and dual‐ascent heuristics, can solve instances within reasonable time and prescribes solutions with gaps between the primal and dual solution values that are less than 0.15%, an efficacy suiting it for actual large‐scale applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2013     

How Probable is Cyber War? Bringing IR Theory Back In to the Cyber Conflict Debate

Many well-established explanations for war suggest that cyber weapons have a greater chance of being used offensively than other kinds of military technologies. This response article introduces a research agenda for the study of cyber war, and offers an example – principal-agent problems in cyber operations – to demonstrate how rigorous theoretical and empirical work may proceed.     

Nothing fails like success: The London Ambassadors’ Conference and the coming of the First World War

During the July Crisis Britain’s foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, focused on organising a conference through which differences could be reconciled. After the war, he maintained that Germany’s unwillingness to join this conference was one of the immediate causes of war. This essay disputes Grey’s contention, arguing that his plans for a conference, based on a misleading analogy to the previous Balkan Crises, actually helped facilitate the outbreak of war in 1914 by sanctioning inaction in the first phase of the crisis (28 June–22 July) and by tacitly encouraging Russian mobilisation in the second phase (23 July–4 August).     

中段反导指挥控制能力生成机理及构成分析

提出了中段反导指挥控制能力生成的要素基础建设机理、要素集成聚优机理和要素联动涌效机理,构建了中段反导指挥控制能力总体构成框架,并对作战能力具体构成进行了分析,可为反导指挥控制系统建设及作战效能评估提供借鉴。     

CIVIL SOCIETY AND VIOLENCE—HOW TO MANAGE IN THE TOWNSHIPS WITHOUT THE ARMY

This article discusses the validity of national security threats in Botswana and whether they justified the creation of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS), which has been controversial since its formation. Since its inception in 2008, the DISS has been accused of many human rights violations and politicisation. Without fully deliberating on the basis for its creation, some discourses have focused on the politicised operations without relation to what the DISS is supposed to be doing. The author works under the assumption that debates should be shaped by whether it was necessary to create the DISS, and, if so, how we can shape and steer debates on its oversight, management, reform and operations. This article argues that despite the politicisation of the DISS, Botswana's national security threats are both real and imagined; and that domestic threats to national security have moved from the conceptual ‘imagined’ category to the ‘real’. However, that in itself did not warrant the design and mandate of the DISS, and the article argues that it was external threats that really warranted the creation of a civilian intelligence agency. The article concludes that Botswana faces a plethora of external security threats – traditional and non-traditional – that warranted the creation and continuance of the DISS.     

对学员思想政治教育针对性的调查与思考

学员思想政治教育存在观念、内容、方式、队伍建设等方面诸多问题,急需有针对性地加以解决。应本着发现问题、分析问题和解决问题的思路,透过现象看本质,提出加强学员思想政治教育策略,着力在突出变、精、活、实、新上下功夫。     

和谐警民关系构建过程中的不良因素规避

构建和谐警民关系在当前公安工作中具有全局性意义。在和谐社会建设正成为时代精神精华的背景下,和谐警民关系的构建不仅具有历史逻辑的可能性,而且具有改善社会关系、化解各种矛盾、维护社会公平正义、全面促进社会和谐的根本意义和现实需求。面对队伍建设的新情况、新局面,和谐警民关系的构建应立足现状,分析局面,寻求对策,以利公安工作和队伍建设再上新台阶。     

当前城市社区消防安全现状及对策

城市的社区建设受到资金和观念的限制,火灾隐患存在严重,并且整改难度大。具体分析了城市社区存在的火灾隐患的集中表现及其产生原因,并提出做好社区消防安全管理工作应采取的具体措施。     

公安消防部队心理咨访关系现状分析

公安消防部队心理咨访关系已初步呈现良好的发展态势,但还存在着咨访关系的＂上下级模式＂倾向、＂医患模式＂倾向、＂你好-再见效应＂倾向、＂多重角色＂倾向等。造成这些问题的原因是思想认识存在偏差、专业人才队伍的匮乏、机构体制方面的问题以及职业特点的影响。